‘Not without loss,’ Edana acknowledged sadly.

The old battlechief lowered his head when Edana spoke of Heb’s death. He had been well known and well liked amongst those who dwelt in Dun Carreg. Many of them nodded and grunted as she spoke of Eremon’s support and first the elation and then the despair of the following battles. Finally Edana told of the flight to the coast and their journey by ship to Ardan. Pendathran growled when he heard of Conall slaying Marrock.

‘Ach, how many of my kin will fall in this war? Is there no end to the hurt our family must bear?’ He wrung his hands as if he was squeezing on someone’s neck.

I forgot, Marrock was Pendathran’s nephew.

‘And then we sailed here,’ Edana said. ‘With the help of Roisin and a score of Eremon’s finest shieldmen.’

‘Aye, and I’m grateful for that. Both for your presence and that of the extra swords.’

‘We are glad and grateful to be here,’ Roisin said, managing to look both sad and happy at the same time.

She has more talents than I realized.

‘And you, Uncle?’ Edana said. ‘I thought you slain in the feasthall of Dun Carreg.’

‘It was a close thing,’ Pendathran said. He shifted a dirty scarf tied around his neck to reveal a white scar. ‘I must have come close to bleeding out in the hall. Don’t know how I didn’t. All I can tell you is that I woke up in a stinking hole – turned out to be Evnis’ cellars.’ He could not stop his eyes flickering to Vonn, who stared fiercely back.

Just the mention of his da seems to set a cold flame burning in the young warrior.

Pendathran explained how Evnis had tortured him, and then how he had been rescued by Cywen. After escaping through the tunnels below the fortress he had travelled south from Dun Carreg, ended up wandering around the marshes for over a moon before he had been found by the fledgling resistance.

‘Turned out I wasn’t the only one who fled here – there were men from my son’s warband . . .’ He paused, a shadow crossing his face at the mention of his son.

I remember watching from the walls of Dun Carreg as Dalgar led his warband against Owain’s host. They were sorely outnumbered. Pendathran had led a force out of Dun Carreg’s gates, but the bridge to the mainland had been blocked by Owain’s men. The battle was hard fought, but eventually Pendathran’s relief force had been turned back and Dalgar’s warband routed. Dalgar’s corpse had been delivered to Dun Carreg’s walls. Camlin could still see Pendathran carrying his son’s broken body across the bridge.